Idioms help you sound more natural in English. They make your speaking clear, strong, and confident. This dictionary is made for idioms learners. You can search any idiom easily. You can also learn idioms from A to Z. Topics are simple too, such as daily life, work, money, time, emotions, relationships, health, travel, nature, and weather.
Each idiom has a simple meaning. It also has a clear definition. You will also see an easy sentence for real conversation. The goal is not to memorize everything at once. Learn a few idioms daily. Read the sentence. Understand the meaning. Then try to use the idiom when you speak.
This dictionary helps you build better vocabulary. It also helps you understand English expressions faster. Use it daily and improve your idioms step by step.
on second thoughts
having given something more thought; having reconsidered something.
On second thoughts, maybe you should sell your house and move into a flat.
open one’s heart (to someone)
to reveal one’s most private thoughts to someone.
I always open my heart to my wife when I have a problem.
open the door to something
to permit or allow something to become a possibility. (Also used literally.)
Your policy opens the door to cheating.
over my dead body
not if I can stop you; you’ll have to kill me first (so that I won’t stop you).
You’ll sell this house over my dead body!
over the odds
more than one would expect to pay. (From betting in horse-racing.)
We had to pay over the odds for a house in the area where we wanted to live.
pack someone off (to somewhere)
to send someone away to somewhere, often with the suggestion that one is glad to do so.
His parents packed him off to boarding-school as soon as possible.
pile in(to something)
to climb in or get in roughly. (Informal.)
Okay, children, pile in!
pride of place
the best or most important place or space.
Jack’s parents gave pride of place in their living-room to his sports trophy.
pull a face and make a face
to twist one’s face into a strange expression, typically to show one’s dislike, to express ridicule, or to make someone laugh. (Also plural: pull faces, make faces.)
The comedian pulled faces to amuse the children.
pull a fast one
to succeed in an act of deception. (Informal.)
She was pulling a fast one when she said she had a headache and had to go home.
pull the rug out from under someone(’s feet)
to do something suddenly which leaves someone in a weak position; to make someone ineffective.
The news that his wife had left him pulled the rug out from under him.
put one through one’s paces
to make one demonstrate what one can do; to test someone’s abilities or capacity.
The teacher put the children through their paces before the exam.
put one’s house in order
to put one’s business or personal affairs into good order.
There was some trouble at work and the manager was told to put his house in order.
put paid to something
to put an end to something; to prevent someone from doing something; to prevent something from happening. (From the practice of book-keepers of writing “paid” in the account book when a bill has been settled.)
Jean’s father’s objections put paid to John’s thoughts of marrying her.
put someone in mind of someone or something
to remind someone of someone or something.
Mary puts me in mind of her mother when she was that age.
put something plainly
to state something firmly and explicitly.
To put it plainly, I want you out of this house immediately.
put the cat among the pigeons and set the cat among the pigeons
to cause trouble or a disturbance, especially by doing or saying something suddenly or unexpectedly.
Meg put the cat among the pigeons by announcing that she was leaving home.
put upon someone
to make use of someone to an unreasonable degree; to take advantage of someone for one’s own benefit. (Typically passive.)
My mother was always put upon by her neighbours. She was too nice to refuse their requests for help.
putty in someone’s hands
[someone who is] easily influenced by someone else; [someone who is] excessively willing to do what someone else wishes.
Bob’s wife is putty in his hands. She never thinks for herself.
quids in with someone
in an advantageous or favourable position with someone. (Informal.)
You’ll be quids in with Jean if you can charm her mother.
rise and shine
to get out of bed and be lively and energetic. (Informal. Often a command.)
Come on, children! Rise and shine! We’re going to the seaside.
romp home
to win a race or competition easily. (Informal.)
Our team romped home in the relay race.
ruffle someone’s feathers
to upset or annoy someone. (A bird’s feathers become ruffled if it is angry or afraid.)
You certainly ruffled Mrs. Smith’s feathers by criticizing her garden.
rule the roost
to be the boss or manager, especially at home. (Informal.)
Who rules the roost at your house?
run in the family
for a characteristic to appear in all (or most) members of a family.
My grandparents lived well into their nineties, and longevity runs in the family.
saved by the bell
rescued from a difficult or dangerous situation just in time by something which brings the situation to a sudden end. (From the sounding of a bell marking the end of a round in a boxing match.)
James didn’t know the answer to the question, but he was saved by the bell when the teacher was called away from the room.
scrimp and save
to be very thrifty; to live on very little money, often to save up for something.
We had to scrimp and save to send the children to college.
see someone home
to accompany someone home.
Bill agreed to see his aunt home after the film.
see something with half an eye
to see or understand very easily.
You could see with half an eye that the children were very tired.
send someone to Coventry
to refuse to speak to or associate with someone or a group of people as a punishment.
The other children sent Tom to Coventry for telling tales to the teacher.
How To Use Idioms Dictionary
- You can use this dictionary in different ways. Start with the idioms you hear often in movies, conversations, or online posts. Search them here and understand their real meaning. Then read the example sentence and try to speak your own sentence.
- You can also learn idioms by topic. Choose daily life idioms for normal conversation. Choose work and business idioms for office English. Choose money, time, emotion, relationship, health, travel, nature, and weather idioms to improve your topic-based vocabulary.
- A good way to learn is to save your favorite idioms in a notebook. Write the idiom, its meaning, and your own sentence. Review them after a few days. This will help you remember them better.
- Do not use idioms everywhere. Use them only when they fit the situation. The goal is to sound natural, not forced.
- Keep learning slowly. A few useful idioms daily can improve your English speaking a lot.
Here’s a separate section for kids: 100 Common Idioms for Kids
FAQs about Idioms Dictionary
An idiom is a group of words with a special meaning. You cannot always understand it by translating each word.
Type the full idiom or any main word in the search box. The dictionary will show matching idioms with meaning and sentence.
Start with a few idioms daily. Read the meaning, understand the sentence, and try to make your own sentence.
Yes. You can learn idioms by topics like daily life, work, money, time, emotions, relationships, health, travel, nature, and weather.
Yes. The meanings and sentences are written in simple English, so beginners can understand and practice easily.
Idioms help you sound more natural in English. Use them in the right situation to make your speaking more confident.
No. Use idioms only when they fit the situation. The goal is to sound natural, not forced.
